The manicurist's art is an ancient profession; manicures and pedicures appear in the records and artwork of even the earliest civilizations. Current techniques in manicure treatments are often particularly elaborate, and include acrylic copolymerization of the nail and nail bed, dietary supplements including specialized amino acids and polypeptides, not to mention various coating and strengthening compositions worn beneath nail polish or other decorative nail coatings. The predominant goal of these nail-treating protocols is the prevention of brittleness in the keratinous matrix of the nail, inasmuch as it is brittleness which leads to the unwanted chipping and breakage which thwart the practical and cosmetic advantages of a satisfactory manicure. Needless to say, dietary supplements and acrylic or other polymerizations are drastic, expensive measures when nail care is seen in perspective as only one of many aspects of essential grooming. Accordingly, a need remains for a means to prevent brittleness in human fingernails and toenails, for maximized cosmetic integrity, which is effective, low cost, easy to implement, and readily available.